


At Least I'm Not The Only One

by Bookworm1063



Series: Not So Rotten [3]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:08:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24274837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bookworm1063/pseuds/Bookworm1063
Summary: Both Mal and Evie go through a tough breakup. They haven't met yet, but at least there's someone out there going through the same thing.
Relationships: Evie & Carlos de Vil, Jay & Mal (Disney), Mal & Uma (Disney)
Series: Not So Rotten [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1516289
Kudos: 14





	At Least I'm Not The Only One

**Before**

Evie knew that her relationship with Chad was doomed. She’d known for weeks.

Maybe it was because she kept catching herself watching girls the way her brother and sister watched boys. Maybe it was because whenever she went out with Chad, she wanted to be literally anywhere else. Maybe it was because last time he’d come over, she’d fallen asleep listening to him talk about Tourney, and he hadn’t noticed. Carlos had kicked her awake.

Evie supposed it didn’t matter why it wasn’t working. All that mattered was what she had to do now.

o-o-o-o-o

The worst part, Mal thought, was that she actually loved Ben.

Ben had been the first person she’d dated and loved, unless you counted Uma, and Mal loved her platonically. Breaking up with Uma hadn’t hurt. Breaking up with Ben was going to suck.

He hadn’t said anything yet. They’d been sitting in his car for almost ten minutes, and he was still staring out the windshield at nothing. His face was pale. If this was going to happen, Mal just wanted it over with.

“If you’re dumping me,” she said into the silence, “Just do it. I’ve got places to be.”

Ben looked over at her, his eyes gleaming with unshed tears. Mal didn’t think he had any right to be crying. “I’m so sorry, Mal.”

“For fuck’s sake,” Mal snapped. “Why are you apologizing? Feelings change. There’s no reason to…” She trailed off. To Mal’s horror, she could feel tears rising in the back of her own throat.

“I’m so sorry,” Ben repeated, and Mal wanted to smack him. “I’m sorry. But you’re right. We’re done.”

o-o-o-o-o

**After**

Evie stumbled up the front walk, holding her heels in one hand. She’d run most of the way from Chad’s house.

The lights were off, and Evie fumbled her way up the stairs in the dark. She wasn’t crying, but she was trembling. The whole thing had been _awful_.

Evie tripped on the top stair and landed on her stomach in the hallway, her shoes flying from her hand. One hit the carpet; the other bounced off Carlos’ bedroom door.

Carlos must have been waiting for her, because the next thing Evie knew, her brother was there, helping her to her feet, despite the fact that Evie had at least four inches on him. Evie leaned on Carlos as he led her into his room and up the ladder to his loft bed. They were too tall now to sit up there, the way they had when Carlos had first come to live with them, so Evie curled up on her side. Carlos swung himself up after her, pressing his back against hers.

He didn’t ask if she was alright, or if she needed anything. He already knew the answers. He just rested the back of his head against her shoulder, and Evie closed her eyes.

o-o-o-o-o

Ben had been parked in front of Mal’s house, but when he drove away, she didn’t go in. Instead, she walked four blocks to Uma’s place.

The door was locked, so Mal walked around the house, hopped the fence, and slid the basement window open. She climbed in, landing on the floor next to the TV.

“What the heck?” Jay asked. He was sprawled next to Uma on the couch, video game controller in hand. At the sight of Mal, he’d looked away from the screen; Uma hadn’t reacted. A blare of victory music indicated Jay’s character’s death.

“Are you serious?” Jay cried. “I had you!”

“Like hell you did.” Uma set her controller aside, took one look at Mal’s face, and stood up. The lights in the basement switched on, and whatever Uma could see now clearly confirmed her earlier suspicions.

“Jay,” she snapped. “Top drawer, left-hand side of my mother’s desk. Get the key to the liquor cabinet. And make some popcorn while you’re up there.”

Jay blinked at her, and she kicked him in the shin.

“Booze. Popcorn. Now.”

Jay nodded and jogged up the basement stairs. Uma ushered Mal over to the sofa, sat her down, and switched off the gaming console. “Any movie, your choice.”

Mal just stared at Uma blankly. Uma rolled her eyes and sighed.

“We’re watching _Sleeping Beauty_. I know it’s your favorite.”

“Literally just for the dragon,” Mal said.

Uma turned on the DVD player and fished the movie out of the back of the TV cabinet. Jay returned with popcorn, and tossed Uma the key; she unlocked the liquor cabinet on the other side of the basement.

“Sit down,” Uma said to Jay. “We’re drinking and watching stupid movies until we pass out.”

o-o-o-o-o

When Evie woke up, Carlos was gone, but he’d left a plate of toast and a glass of milk on his desk. Evie got up and ate, feeling a little bad. It was just a breakup, with a guy she hadn’t even liked. People didn’t need to fuss. It had sucked, it was over. She just didn’t want to be alone right now.

She went down the hall to her own room and got dressed, in plain jeans and a dark blue sequined top. Her hair almost seemed to blend into it. She tilted her head toward the mirror on the inside of her closet door, frowning. Her roots were growing out again.

“Evie?”

Carlos was standing in the doorway. He was also dressed, to Evie’s surprise- Carlos liked to say in his pajamas on weekend mornings. He also had a backpack slung over one shoulder.

“Going somewhere?” Evie asked.

“Maybe.” Carlos shrugged. “I wanted to make sure you were okay. I won’t go if you want me here. It’s not that big a deal.”

“Does this have something to do with the new mystery man in your life?” Evie gestured at Carlos’ outfit and bag, pasting on a smile.

“Um.” The blush on Carlos’ face answered Evie’s question for him.

“Go.” Evie pushed her brother toward the stairs. “Have fun. It’s not that big a deal. I’ll be fine.”

Carlos squinted at her. “If you’re sure…”

“I’m sure. Go. I want details later.” Evie kept smiling until her brother had gone downstairs. Then she closed her bedroom door and slumped down in her desk chair, burying her head in her hands.

o-o-o-o-o

It was almost noon when Mal woke up, hungover, on Uma’s couch. Her head was pounding, and her legs had fallen asleep, since Uma was draped across them, passed out. Jay was snoring on the floor.

Something in the pocket of Mal’s jeans was buzzing. She fished out her phone- thirty missed calls and texts from her parents. _Dammit._

She opened the family group chat and sent a quick reply- _Sorry. Spent the night at Uma’s. Be home soon._

Almost immediately, her phone blew up with texts from her mother, and her father’s ringtone- a series of increasingly aggressive dogs barking- echoed through the room. Jay lifted his head from where it had been pillowed on his arms, squinting up at her. Uma rolled off the couch, landing with her elbow digging into Jay’s spine.

“Ow! What the-” Jay shoved Uma off him. Uma pinched his arm and scrambled back up onto the sofa before Jay could retaliate.

“You gonna be alright, Mal?” she asked.

Mal nodded. “Yeah, assuming my parents don’t kill me.” She waved her phone around vaguely. “Thanks, guys.” She looked away almost immediately.

“Oh, God,” Uma groaned. “Don’t thank us.”

“Yeah, it’s weird.” Jay stood up, brushing off his jeans. “You need a ride home? Your parents sound pissed, and I’m not as hungover as you.”

“Yeah, sure.” Mal followed Uma and Jay back upstairs. She opened up her Tumblr, the one only Uma and Jay knew she had, and created a new post.

_Just got dumped by my boyfriend, then got drunk in my ex’s basement. Now my parents want to murder me. If you’re having a worse day, I’ll draw whatever you want._

“Okay, now both of you, get out of my house,” Uma said, opening the front door. “I’m late to meet the idiots.”

“Gil and Harry will survive,” Jay said, jogging out to his truck. “Hurry up, Mal,” he called over his shoulder. “There’s a cute guy I’m supposed to go out with today.”

Mal exchanged a long-suffering look with her best friend, and followed after Jay.

o-o-o-o-o

Evie had been going to throw herself into designing, but she couldn’t focus. She sat on the edge of her bed, sketchpad balanced on her lap, and scrolled through Pinterest, looking for any kind of inspiration.

Someone had repined somebody’s Tumblr post, and it had ended up on Evie’s dash. When she saw it, she laughed.

_Just got dumped by my boyfriend, then got drunk in my ex’s basement. Now my parents want to murder me. If you’re having a worse day, I’ll draw whatever you want._

What really caught Evie’s eye, though, was the blog’s icon. It was a drawing of a dragon, mostly purple, with pink and blue accents. Evie was sort of in love with it.

The original poster was somebody called maleficents _dragon. Evie scrambled over to her desk, opened her laptop, and went to Tumblr.

Whoever this person was, their art was amazing. Evie scrolled through it for almost half an hour, taking everything in.

Then she went back to the original post, and left a comment.

_I just broke up with my bf because I’m pretty sure I’m a lesbian, so._

Evie moved back to her bed, picked up her sketchpad, and began to draw.


End file.
